Improvement in machines for pressing straw, corn-stalks



ted March 26, 1878..

E. R. MURD'OCK, Machine for Pressing Straw, Corn Stalks; &c.,

for Fuel.

, Paten WZi/uwses:

flaw ,5; m %[M$ 44 a PbFEl'EiS. PHOTD-LTHOG FH WASHINGTON D C U TESTATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN R. MURDOCK, QF YORK, NEBRASKA, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-THIRDS HIS RIGHT TOGEORGE W. WILLIAMS SR., OF EAU CLAIRE, WISCONSIN, AND

RAOHEL GODDING, OF BEAVER CROSSING, NEBRASKA.

IMPROVEMENT m MACHINES FORIPRESSING STRAW, CO'VRN-STALKS, &.-.., rosFUEiL.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 201,820, dated March26, 1878; application filed February 15, 1878. v V I To all whom it mayconcern:

of York, in the county of York and State ofj Nebraska, have inventedcertain Improve ments I in Preparing Straw, Corn-Stalks, &c., 1

for' Fuel, of which the following is a specification:

This invention is designed for the purpose of pressing and formingstraw, hay, cornstalks, brush, or similar material into small,

blocks for use as fuel,the machine being intended for use in thosewell-known sections of the country in which wood and coal exist in verylimited quantities, the special object of f the mvention being toprovide a machine by 1 which straw, stalks, and other long material maybe pressed, and at the same time out into .1 blocks or pieces of shortlength suitable for;

use inordin'ary stoves; and to this end the invention consists in thecombination, in one machine, of a presser head or heads and one 1 ormore knives arranged tosever the material while being subjected to orheld under pressi ure, and also'in various details of construction, tobe hereinafter more fully described.

Figure 1 represents a perspective View of my machine with the lid or topopened and two of the knives elevated, the parts being arranged inposition to admit the introduction of the material to be operated upon.Fig. 2

represents a vertical cross-section of the machine, the parts in thesame position as in Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a vertical cross-section of themachine, showing the material under pressure and the knives in theiroperative positions.

A represents the solid base-frame of the machine, provided at the frontwith an upwardly-extending side or edge, a, and also provided with a topor cover, B, hinged to its rear end in such manner that it may be turnedupward to permit the introduction of the materials to the machine.

C represents a horizontal sliding presser head, arranged to enter therear side of the body between the bed-plate and the cover, bearing atits rear end against an eccentriclever, 'E, mounted in a rigid standard,F, on the main frame. The material to be pressed being introducedbetween the front edge of Be it known that I, EDWIN R. MURDOOK, i

fined closely in place, and then, upon the lever being depressed, theadvance of the presser head compresses'the material solidly and comipactly between said head and the front of the bed. 1

For the purpose of holding thetopor cover down in positionduring thepressing'operation, two spring-catches, G, are "mounted in the sides ofthe frame, and arranged to engage over the end of the lid or cover whenit is turned down, as shown in Figs; land 3.

For the purpose of retracting the presserhead after the completion ofthe pressing oporation, a link or other connection, 0, is used betweenthe-head and the lever,as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, so that as the leverthe head is drawn back. r

For the purpose of cutting or separating the is elevated material intoblocks or sections of suitable length, one or more knives, H, of atapering or wedge-like form, are pivoted at their large ends in verticalslots in the front of the presser-head, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3;the arrangement of the knives being such that when the machine is to befilled they may be turned to an upright position, as shown in Figs. 1and 2; but after the introduction of the material their points or endsmay be turned down upon the material, in which position they areretained by the lid or top when it is closed down upon them, as shown inFig. 3

It will be observed that prior to the introduction of the material intothe machine the presser-head and knives are drawn back, and thatthepoints of the latter are subsequently turned down so as to rest uponthe material, which lies underneath the forward portion of the knives,as shown in Fig. 3, so that as the presser-h ead is advanced and forcesthe knives forward the lower edges of the latter are caused to cut witha shearing action down through the mass of material, severing the sameinto short blocks or lengths.

In order that the blocks or lengths may be readily bound while underpressure, vertical slots d are cut through the bed-plate and cover fromthe front of the same backward, as shown in the drawings.

A line of spools, e, is mounted below the bed, at its front, as shown inthe drawing, to carry the wires, cords, or other binding material, aspool of which is arranged below each slot. v

On the presser-head there are a series of pins or studs, 9, extendingupward, onein each of the slots in the cover.

Before introducing the material into the machine, the wire or cord ispassed over each spool upward through the corresponding slot, andattached to the corresponding pin on the presser-head, as shown in Fig.2.

After the compression and separation of the material into blocks iscompleted, each wire is loosened at its end from the stud or pin, drawnforward through the slot over its respective block, and united to itselfagain at the front, and then severed from the main body of wire. Afterall the wires have been fastened the presser-head is drawn back, the lidraised, the knives elevated, and the completed bound bundles removedfrom the machine.

and which serve to force the knives upward,

as shown in Fig. 2.

While it is preferred to construct the machine .as above described, theform and arrangement of the parts may be modified in many respects, ifdesired, the essential feature of the invention consisting in thecombination of a presser-head and knives in such manner that thematerial may be automatically compressed and cut into lengths, and thiswhether the two operations are performed at the same time orsuccessively.

By arranging the knives with their points at the bottom of the space inwhich the material is placed, instead of at the top of the same, asshown, the necessity of pivoting them will be overcome, and they maythen be attached rigidly to the presser-head, in which case the materialwill be laid upon them when placed in the machine, the knives in thisinstance cutting upward instead of downward.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is-- 1. In a press forpreparing straw, &c., foruse as fuel, the combination of a slidingpresserhead and one or more automatic knives for dividing the materialinto short lengths or blocks.

2. In a fuel-press, the combination of an inclosing body or frame, asliding presser-head therein, and one or more knives connected with thehead and arranged to operate in con: nection therewith, substantially asshown, whereby the two operations of cutting and pressing the materialare performed automatically.

3. In a fuel-press, a series of knives or blades arranged to divide theentire body of material contained in the press into small blocks orlengths at a single operation, substantially as shown and described.

4. The combination of the bed A, lid or top B, presser-head O, andknives H.

5. In combination with the knives pivoted to the movable head, the studsor pins to elevate the knives when they are drawn back.

EDWIN R. MURDOGK.

Witnesses A. G. MONTGOMERY, GEORGE B. FRANCE.

